Educational construction system using rectangular basic element and derivatives

ABSTRACT

The system herein disclosed and claimed is an educational construction system.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention is associated with educational systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An educational game aimed at exploring three-dimensional constructionusing playing-card-sized elements was first sold in the U.S. in 1952.Like playing cards, the building elements are rectangular in shape andfeature six slots, four on each of the two longer sides, and two on theshorter sides.

Users make use of the building elements and their slots to interface theelements to one another and thereby create three-dimensional structures.The slots provide some rigidity and support to the structures thusassembled.

One deficiency in the original invention is that the elements arerestricted by the design to interfacing cards that are oriented eitherhorizontally or vertically, but does not allow, say, a horizontallyoriented element to interface with a vertically oriented element.

As such, the scope of possible structure construction was limited.

A way to improve the original invention would be to locate the slotssuch that elements oriented horizontally or vertically can freelyinterface with one another.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Construction sets are known to be important educational systems forchildhood brain development. Children use construction sets and theirimagination to explore and learn basic concepts of mathematics andphysics as well as developing aesthetic sensibility. Examples includeblocks that are stacked and/or connected in various ways as well asother simple connectable elements that can be used to createincreasingly complex structures according to a child's imagination. Anypreschool or kindergarten classroom will include many examples ofconstruction sets chosen for their educational value. The currentinvention is an educational system in this tradition.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a fundamental buildingelement structure operative to allow these elements to interface withone another regardless of how a particular element is oriented.Furthermore, derivative elements are also disclosed and claimed that arederived from the fundamental building element.

As with the original invention, elements arrayed in horizontalorientations can be interfaced to one another. Elements arrayed invertical orientations can be interfaced to one another. And, uniquely tothe invention herein disclosed and claimed, elements where one or moreis horizontally oriented and one or more is vertically oriented can alsobe interfaced.

The location of the slots provides the interface ubiquity. The positionsof slots and slot dimensions are conditionally based on overall elementdimensions. Thus, elements of different overall size can be implementedand retain the interface ubiquity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts the basic element of the original invention. As shown, itis rectangular in shape and features four slots, two on each long side;and two slots, one on each short side.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view of the elements in FIG. 1 interfaced to oneanother. Note that all elements are oriented horizontally. Slotpositions preclude interfacing a horizontally oriented element to avertically oriented element in a stable configuration.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view of the invention herein disclosed andclaimed. Like the original element depicted in FIG. 1, it comprises fourslots, two on each long side, and two slots, one on each short side.However, the location and dimensions of the slots allow these elementsto be interfaced regardless of horizontal or vertical orientation.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view of the basic elements of FIG. 3 interfacedsuch that horizontally oriented and vertically oriented elements may beinterfaced.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view of derivative elements made by usingportions of the element in FIG. 3. Slot positions and sizes are allcompatible with those of the element of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of a derivative element where slots on twosides are compatible with long-side slots of the element of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary view of a derivative element whose slots on oneside are compatible with long-side slots of the element of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is essentially an improvementon an earlier invention. The earlier invention uses basic constructionelements that are rectangular in shape, with dimensions similar tostandard playing cards, and having slots that allow two such elements tobe interfaced to one another. Along the two longer sides, there are twoslots per side, each perpendicular to the side as shown in FIG. 1. Alongthe two shorter sides, there is one slot per side, perpendicular to theside as shown in FIG. 1. The slots on the shorter side are locatedessentially half way between the longer sides as shown in FIG. 1. Theslots on the longer side are located such that each is the equaldistance from the center of a longer side, and each is equal distancefrom the nearest shorter side.

With a basic element such as FIG. 1, the elements are constrained tointerface when all elements are oriented in the same way. That is, eachelement is either oriented such that the longer side is horizontal(herein referred to as horizontal orientation); or the longer side isvertical (herein referred to as vertical orientation). Interfacing anelement that is horizontally oriented with one that is vertical orientedis not supported by the element shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows an exampleof such elements interfaced wherein each element is horizontallyoriented.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed has a construction elementthat is rectangular in shape and features six slots, two on each of thetwo longer sides and one on each of the two shorter sides, as shown inFIG. 3. Although FIGS. 1 and 3 look similar in structure, the locationand dimensions of the slots in FIG. 3 are chosen such that theseelements can interface with one another regardless of horizontal orvertical orientation.

Although FIG. 3 shows rounded corners, the corners can be squared. Thelonger sides have a length L, the shorter sides have a length W, and theelement has a thickness, t. The two slots 304 are centered along eachshort edge (303) and are perpendicular to the edge as shown. The slots305 along each long edge (302) are displaced a distance, c, from theslot that shares the same edge. All slots (304 and 305) have the samelength, d, and width, e.

Regardless of actual element size, the relationships of c, d, and e toL, W, and t are as follows:

e≧t

c<L−2d;

d<(W−t)/4

c=2W−4d

Adherence to all four equations is a necessary condition of thisinvention. It is the equation c=2W-4d which is unique to this inventionand provides its interface ubiquity.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary drawing that depicts how horizontally orientedand vertically oriented elements can interface. For example, 401 is avertically oriented element which interfaces to two horizontallyoriented elements (403) via elements 402.

The educational construction system based on the rectangular elementwould have a number of such elements as well as derivative elements. Thederivative elements are essentially portions of the rectangular elementwhose slot sizes and positions correspond to those of the rectangularelement.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary drawing showing three derivative elements ofbasic rectangular element (501). By essentially dividing element 501 inhalf along the shorter sides, one derives element 503 whose two slotscorrespond to those of the two slots along the long side of element 501.By using just a portion of 501 divided along the longer sides such thatone derives element 502, this derivative element is symmetrical withrespect to the opposite slots, that is, the distance from the edgesparallel to the two opposing slots, to the opposing slots, is equal. Twoderivative elements 502 may be centered and oriented orthogonal to oneanother so as to form a derivative element 504. In all cases, the sizesand positions of the slots correspond to commensurate slots of element501.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary drawing showing another derivative element wherethe slots shown on the left and right side correspond in size andposition to those along the long side of element 501. Here, a portion ofthe element is fluted such that it may be bent such that the planes ofthe interfacing ends can be oriented up to 270 degrees apart, dependingupon the material used for its construction.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary drawing showing another derivative element wherethe slots shown (701 and 702) are sized and positioned to correspondwith the long-side slots of element 501.

The user aligns a selected slot in one element with a selected slot inanother element and slides the two elements together until they arefirmly engaged. By choosing various elements, orientations, and spatialarrangements, a user can create interesting and creative structures. Bymaking the elements interface regardless of element orientation, a userhas a greater number of choices in how to interface the selectedelements.

The elements can be made using a variety of materials and methods. Smallelements made of thin cardboard or cardstock may be cut using known diecutting methods. Larger elements made of thicker materials can be cutout using computer-controlled cutting machinery, such as a CNC router.Other manufacturing methods are also possible because the invention doesnot depend on a particular cutting method or material.

The derivative elements are not limited to those shown in the drawings.Any element whose slots are sized and positioned to correspond withthose of the element 501 are defined as derivative and thereby coveredby this disclosure and related claims. Optional variations can includeadditional cut-outs that do not intersect element edges, such aswindows. A system could include elements of different materials andopacity as well as colors and designs.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a planar rectangular basicelement having two longer sides, two shorter sides and thickness; eachof said two longer sides has two slots containing no material andextending toward the center of said basic element perpendicularly fromeach of said two longer sides; each of said two shorter sides has oneslot containing no material and extending toward the center of saidbasic element perpendicularly from each of said two shorter sides; eachof said slots has essentially the same slot length and slot width; saidsame slot width is equal to or greater than said thickness.
 2. A systemas in claim 1 further comprising: said same slot length is less than onefourth of said shorter side length diminished by said thickness.
 3. Asystem as in claim 2 further comprising: said one slot on each of saidtwo shorter slides is located essentially centered along said shorterside; said two slots on each of said two longer sides is locatedsymmetrically with the center of said longer side and each displacedfrom said center by essentially half of the total of two times thelength of said shorter side diminished by four times said slot length.4. A system as in claim 3 further comprising: a derivative element ofsaid planar rectangular element that is essentially a portion of saidrectangular element whose dimensions and slot sizes and positionscorrespond to said planar rectangular element.
 5. A system as in claim 3further comprising: a derivative having at least one side whose one ormore slots are sized and positioned to correspond to those of saidplanar rectangular element.